25 Friday May 2018
Posted in Messages
Hey there! If you need something to read over the long holiday weekend or you just want some good books for only 99 cents each, there’s a speculative fiction book fair going on over at Magic Book Deals right now. It’ll run from May 25th – 31st.
Head on over and see if there’s something for you!
05 Saturday May 2018
Posted in Messages
Dropping a quick note to let everyone know there’s a gigantic Sci-Fi/Fantasy book sale going on right now. All books are 99 pennies, so get yourself an e-reader full of speculative fiction while the promo is on.
All the genres and sub-genres you love:
Military Sci-Fi
Adventure Sci-Fi
Space opera–where my Insurrection omnibus is featured:)
Steampunk
Fantasy
Paranormal
The sale only lasts through the weekend. By Monday they’ll all be back to regular price. Don’t miss out!
28 Tuesday Feb 2017
Title & Author: Weltanschauung, Vikki Patis
Genre & Publication Date: Short Story anthology, November 4, 2016
Book Description: “The harbinger, the oddball, the remaining twin… Weltanschauung seeks to open your eyes to different stories, set in different worlds and at different times, but with the same theme in mind: to make you question your worldview.
This collection of short stories traverses genres, introduces a variety of characters, and shines a light on some of our deepest fears.
Challenge your perceptions.”
First Line: (From the first story: Zombie) The air around him was hot and close, the shadows lengthening by the second.
My Take: This book was provided by the author for review.
For those of you wondering about the title, no, it’s not just a collection of random letters strung together. It’s actually a German word meaning “world view” or the philosophical/life view of an individual or group. It’s a perfectly chosen title actually since each story travels down the oftentimes dark road of a character’s mind and the world he/she experiences. A shame English doesn’t have a succinct term for this like the German language — but then again, French needs two words (peu profond) to say the word “shallow”, so there you go.
I’ll admit up front that this is not my usual type of read. It’s quite a bit darker than my tastes normally run, which is why I continued to reflect back on the title as I went along. Each character of the five short stories starts out in a comprehensible setting, whether they are moving through a self-imposed routine, or living with trauma, or working within a warped reality and rigid beliefs. Then events intervene, things escalate, and the macabre rolls onto the stage. At turns grisly and unnerving, these stories don’t pull any punches.
I think for this reason I both liked the read and didn’t, but I also believe that was the point. Delving into the minds of these characters, their perspectives and their “world view”, isn’t something to be enjoyed so much as experienced. Unfiltered weltanschauung, if you will, and the book delivers on that promise.
The Magical: Chilling and thought provoking, the tales definitely hung around in my thoughts well after I finished them which doesn’t often happen. They also had me suspiciously eyeballing shadows and that weird guy who sometimes hangs out in front of the grocery store in my neighborhood.
The Mundane: Oddly, the gloomy nature of these stories (which is the book’s strength) is also what bothered me most, but that was the idea. It says, “Challenge your perceptions” right there in the description.
Summary of Thoughts: Currently the book is $5.00 on Amazon, or free if you have Kindle Unlimited. I have a hard time rating this one because while the stories disturbed me I also know this is exactly what they were trying to do. So, the thesis of the book definitely hit its target but it also made me feel like the volunteer from the crowd who stands in front of a bullseye with an apple on her head. The professional knife throwing Carnie gives me an enormous thrill but I’m planning on a trip to the bar after it’s over.
I’m giving this one three and a half stars — three for my personal opinion/preference and an extra half because I know those with darker literary tastes who enjoy an unsettling read will love it. If that’s you, pick this one up today.
Many thanks to author Vikki Patis for providing a copy of the book to review!
Want to know more about the author and her work? Check out her awesome website and blog over at the Bandwagon where she discusses Fiction, Feminism, and Fibromyalgia.
20 Monday Feb 2017
Posted in Messages
Tags
Book Awards, Book Giveaway, Fantasy, Planetary Awards, Science-Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Teen Domestic Violence
It’s time to vote for best short story/novella and novel of 2016! The voting base this year has been expanded so have a look to see if you can cast your ballot for the winners!
You can check out my nominations in a somewhat bumbling post here
Also, a reminder that the book giveaway that I’m sponsoring in honor of Teen Domestic Violence month ends tomorrow. If you’d like a chance to win one of the awesome books I’m offering, have a look here (Look toward the bottom of the post for the giveaway info)
Happy voting and Happy Monday!!
We’re expanding the voting pool for the awards this year, so read this entire post to find out if YOU are eligible to vote.
But first, here are the 2016 stories nominated by book bloggers across the internet:
Short Stories / Novellas
“Athan and the Priestess” by Schuyler Hernstrom, found in Thune’s Vision
“Awakening” by Susan Kaye Quinn
“Edge” by Russell Newquist, found in Between the Wall and the Fire
“The Gift of the Ob-Men” by Schuyler Hernstrom, found in Cirsova #1
“The Glass Flower” by George RR Martin, found in Volume 2 of Dreamsongs [DISQUALIFIED]
“Images of the Goddess”by Schuyler Hernstrom, found in Cirsova #2
Paper Cut by Aeryn Rudel, found in Issue 1 of Red Sun Magazine
“Purytans” by Brad Torgersen, found in the July-August issue of Analog Magazine
Novels
Arkwright by Allen Steele
Babylon’s Ashes by James SA Corey
The Girl with Ghost Eyes by MH Boroson…
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26 Thursday Jan 2017
Posted in Messages
When I was ten years old I began experiencing a persistent pain in my lower back, usually while walking. Since I hiked about a mile to elementary school each morning, you can imagine this became a frequent annoyance. Interesting thing about kids: they don’t always know when something is wrong. At least I didn’t. The pain was there when I walked but I just dealt with it and got on with things.
It all came to a head when my mother returned early from work one day and saw me struggling home while clutching my lower back. After a short conversation in which I explained I always had back pain, off to the doctor we went. Being a mother now, I can understand that what looked like anger on her face for my omission was actually fear. A few X-rays later and the doctor returned to our little room and announced unceremoniously, “Well, she’s going to need surgery.”
Not sure what he said after that. My entire being snagged on those words. My mother too I think because the doctor darted a look between us and murmured he’d be right back. As soon as he left the room the two of us clung to each other and dissolved into frightened tears.
The Diagnosis: Spondylolisthesis
I nicknamed it “Spondy” because, really, why are these medical classifications so ridiculous? This condition results when one vertebra slides over the bone below it, causing pain, numbness, and weakness in one or both legs. And there was ten-year old me walking a mile to school each way every day with it. I was a scrappy kid. Spindly, but scrappy.
I’ll spare you the gritty details of the days leading up to the surgery, the waiting room outside the prep area on the day itself, the wacky anesthesia induced hallucinations as I went to surgery (they used gas on kids back then), and the two week recovery in the hospital. When it was all over, I was looking ahead at three months in a body cast to give my spine time to heal while immobilized. The cast encircled my ribs and encased one leg to just below the knee. Being the kid I was, I took it in stride. Hey, the pain was gone. Things aren’t so bad. Of course, I hadn’t figured out that I’d have to deal with the world while wearing this thing. In point of fact, I didn’t realize there was anything to deal with at all. Then came school.
Having been able-bodied all of my life up to that point, I knew full well what other kids called the handicapped school bus I had to ride. I’m betting the disabled kids knew it too. The Retard Bus. The one that doesn’t look like the other normal buses. Everyone’s head swiveled to watch us unload from it and my awesome body cast made me walk with a hampered, jerky limp. Oh the stares. The frowns. If reality had text bubbles that showed people’s thoughts, they would’ve read, “What’s wrong with her?” “She walks funny.””I don’t like it.” That last was the big one, the way people seemed simultaneously repulsed by the way I moved and drawn to watch.
Yet, I was lucky. I had an amazing homeroom teacher who took the time to explain what was going on with me to my classmates (after clearing it with me), what surgery was, what a body cast was, and most importantly, that I was still me while inside it. She normalized it. She made it okay and everyone followed her lead. She also threw down the hammer, telling them that if anyone knocked me over that person would be in more trouble than they ever thought possible. To this day I appreciate her ferocity and her understanding. (Ms. Seamen, you’ll always be my favorite.)
It occurred to me, even then, what might things have been like if she’d been like the ones who stared? While we can forgive little kids for not knowing how to behave, what does it say about our society when adults do the same thing because, oh man, I experienced plenty of that. Sometimes I rode in a wheelchair, particularly in malls where my limp made distances difficult. I was never prone to self-consciousness until then. It came with the unease of others, the way people avoided looking at me but looked at me when they thought I couldn’t see, the way they edged away, the way I existed too much or not at all. There was never a moment when I could simply be in a place as myself and not as the disability they observed. It was impossible to ignore. That was hardest, this loss of self. Am I still me when no one else sees me?
The answer, if I could talk to my ten-year old self, is yes, of course you are still you, but you’ll have to fight for it because the rest of the world will try to tell you that the extent of your “self” is the body you inhabit, not the soul inside. As an adult I look back on that glimpse I had of disability and imagine what it’s like for those who can’t remove it like I did the body cast. It’s something I reflect on frequently, especially these days, and is an influence in my writing.
Over on Intisar Khanani’s blog, she is doing an amazing series of posts on disability in fiction which everyone should check out (The first post can be found here). As a kid I loved books and the adventures they took me on (ahem, and as an adult too) though I find it hard to come up with a title with a hero/ine who wasn’t able bodied. There’s the occasional side-kick or family member (or villain), but even if those character presences aren’t polluted by unflattering tropes, they aren’t the main character. The absence of these voices in fiction and on TV deprive society of truly understanding itself. If there was more visibility would it improve the way the disabled are viewed/treated? I think it would.
Need an example?
Take Tyrion from Game of Thrones, a favorite character for so many. Have you seen the forums? They discuss the man inside, his intelligence, his empathy, his smart mouth. They also discuss the things he deals with because of his dwarfism. The show and books bring that experience to light for those who know nothing about it. Now imagine the story without this voice. It would be lesser for it. The same is true for every world, with or without dragons.
What are your thoughts on disability in fiction? Are there any titles you would recommend?
08 Monday Aug 2016
Posted in Messages
It’s been a while since I last hosted a writing contest so I think it’s time for another one!
Our theme once again is Micro Fiction.
That’s stories of 500 words or less.
No entry fee required.
Up to 50 entrants will be allowed to compete for fabulous prizes.
Guidelines are as follows:
1. Must have at least one self-published book (please provide a link in your e-mail)
2. Must be a subscriber to the Amid the Imaginary newsletter
3. Story must be 500 words or less and in one of the genres of the blog (Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic, Steampunk)
4. One entry per person and once submitted the entrant cannot resubmit
5. Story format must be in PDF
DEADLINE to submit: Noon, 12:00 pm (U.S. Central Standard Time) on Monday, August 22nd. No exceptions.
Email your submission to FineFablesPress@gmail.com, Subject: Writing Contest Submission
Be sure to adhere to the guidelines listed above as it may impact the judgement of your entry if you do not.
Contest Judges:
Intisar Khanani, talented Indie author and all around awesome person, currently making huge waves in the book world with her latest Fantasy novel (If you’re curious, my review is here)
Kate Tilton, founder of Kate Tilton’s Author Services, LLC and host of the popular weekly Twitter chat #K8chat (check it out, it’s a lot of fun!)
And me, your friendly neighborhood Hawaiian girl!
On to the prizes!
This writing contest is once again sponsored by the wonderful people over at Tweet Your Books
They Tweet your book, blog or author website to 550,000 select and genuine users: readers, editors, publishers & writers who follow them on their Twitter accounts.
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Some Legal Stuff: By submitting a story you are granting Fine Fables Press the rights to publish the story online and in the Amid the Imaginary newsletter. The copyright and intellectual property rights remain with you. Please do not submit anything that you do not own the rights to.
We’re looking forward to reading your entries!
Please remember to carefully review the guidelines above. We’ll accept the first 50 submissions, and once again, that deadline to submit is Noon, 12:00 pm (U.S. Central Standard Time) on Monday, August 22nd.
Questions? Please comment on this post or on the Facebook announcement so everyone can see the answers. Technical difficulties? You can e-mail the question to me directly at FineFablesPress@gmail.com
18 Monday Jul 2016
Posted in Messages
Tags
Book Marketing, Craft, Dystopian, Indie Writer, Science-Fiction, Self Published Book, Speculative Fiction
While working to market my Sci-Fi/Dystopia series Insurrection, I’ve been reaching out to book bloggers asking for a review of the first installment, Subversive. For those who don’t know, this is a short-story series that will run for five installments, like episodes in a mini-series. Each book is told from a different character perspective. Each is a complete story and interconnected with the others.
Recently, a blogger who had agreed to review Subversive returned saying he would be unable to post a review because he does not feel serial series books are fair to readers. (Full disclosure: He does state that in his review policy but I, er, missed it. *blushes*)
Curious about this view of serial series, I wanted to ask what others thought. Below is the e-mail reply he sent to me and I’m posting it here with his permission:
“Subversive is a glittering example of why I don’t (review serial series books) and I admit I should have examined this book more closely before I agreed to review it. Although it is well written, and I could see that the story line had the potential to eventually develop into something worth reading, as a lifelong reader who has been disappointed repeatedly by authors who use this approach to publishing, I cannot encourage it. Likewise, giving you a low review when the work could be made into a five-star effort is not fair to you.
For a reader, this book is a passage to nowhere except the next book. There is no end. There is only a beginning. For a reader, it’s a bit like having a sentence with a subject and no predicate. An incomplete thought to be solved by putting another nickel in the slot machine. I feel that approach to publishing is unfair to readers.”
My opinion? Although I respect this blogger’s perspective on the subject, I tend to disagree with the philosophy, not just because I’m writing a serial, but because personally, I love them. In the book serials I’ve read I find each book to be its own complete tale, even if there are cliffhangers at the end. If I love the premise and the characters, it’s great to come back to them again and again, like visiting old friends. Some examples? The Anita Blake books, The Emperor’s Edge, A Song of Ice and Fire. There are many more. To me, it’s like watching an episode in a TV series. I’m not upset that I’ll have to tune in next week to see another installment. Sometimes I’m in the mood for a movie that tells the story in one go. Other times, I like when a story is drawn out. The same is true for literature in my, uh, book. (unintentional pun)
What do you think of the serial series format? Does it feel like the author is nickle and diming you into buying another book rather than tying off the journey completely? Or do you enjoy new adventures with the same characters and universes, no matter how many installments there are?
29 Wednesday Jun 2016
Posted in For Writers, Messages
If you’re like me then you love a well-written bad guy. Sometimes they’re even more interesting than the main character, regardless of how distinct the hero might be (Case in point: Hannibal Lecter). I’ve decided the biggest reason for this is because we enjoy exploring the darker side of humanity, that door into the basement, that shrouded place of both screams and silence.
In my reading I’ve noticed three different types of antagonists. Sometimes they overlap to varying degrees but in general they fall into these categories:
The Thug: Straightforward killer, brutal in their way, predictable and singleminded.
The Villain: More menacing in their motivations. Clever and complex, layered by circumstance, twisted by fate or ambition.
The Madman: The creature who not only lives with the darkness inside him but embraces it–the kind who abides by no agenda, the kind who inflicts pain for its own sake. Because they like it. Because it excites them. The kind that, if we caught a glimpse of what lay behind that darkness, we’d find only a deeper pit devoid of light and compassion.
As I’ve been finishing up Inquisitor, the third installment of my Sci-Fi series Insurrection, I thoroughly trekked into that darkness. Told from the point of view of an antagonist, the character falls under the last category with maybe an elbow in the second one. Writing him has been tricky. He evaded me for a while, not letting me into his head, laughing at my frustration, but I finally cornered the bastard and tuned into his voice. It concerns me a touch to find myself fascinated as I explore that viscious mind, those cunning and fearsome thoughts. In the end, I came to this conclusion: The scariest people don’t come on like a storm, raging and wild as they rush in from the horizon. No, for me, the most terrifying people are the ones whose malice oozes from them like a clot of oil from the ground, whose eyes track your every movement debating whether to let you pass by…or not. A cold shadow whose gaze is both empty and overwhelming, and completely inhuman.
In all my movie watching, I’ve come across only a few of these monsters who made my heart thunder from their mere presence on the screen, a softly spoken voice that shutters something truly heinous. From No Country for Old men, this is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen:
What are some of your favorite bad guys, either in movies or books? Do you prefer a raging antagonist of unthethered brutality or one who moves with unpredictable quiet?
07 Tuesday Jun 2016
Posted in Messages
It’s that time again!
For those subscribed to Amid the Imaginary’s newsletter: If you have a self-published book and would like to include an advertisement in the July newsletter, please e-mail me at FineFablesPress@gmail.com, Subject Line: Advertisement <Your Genre>.
In your e-mail please include the following:
I’ll do my best to accommodate as many as possible!
18 Wednesday May 2016
Posted in For Writers, Self-Publishing
Book bloggers are lucky in that talented authors often send us a copy of their book to read and review. It’s a mutually beneficial scenario wherein the blogger gets a good story while the author gets their work trumpeted to the blogger’s audience. But what about readers who are just looking for a good read in their favorite genre and aren’t sure where to go looking? How do they find something that will satisfy their desire for a well-told tale?
Author Aderyn Wood tackles this subject of quality from a reader’s perspective in follow up to a guest post she did here back in December (Click here to read Part One)
They’re all yours Aderyn! *Passes mic*
The self-publishing revolution has destabilized the deeply entrenched gatekeepers of the traditional publishing world, and now there is a growing mountain of books for readers to choose from. This change in the publishing landscape has its pros and cons, and just in case you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know them, here they are:
The Pros? According to Best Fantasy Books, the benefits of reading Indie books are threefold.
The second point resonates most strongly with many readers. Traditional publishing houses are notorious for delivering more of the same. So many rejection letters cite, “It doesn’t fit our list” or “This type of book doesn’t sell”. What they mean is, “you haven’t written another X, Y, or Z, so we don’t want to take the risk.” Good thing is Indie authors CAN and DO take the risk, so picking up an Indie book can be very rewarding indeed. You can find something different.
The Cons? By now, the cons are as clear as that mountain I mentioned. There are books that frankly should never have been published. Books with more than the odd typo, a plethora of grammatical issues, tense inconsistencies, Mary Sues and plot holes readers can fall through. But, it’s not as scary as some commentators would have us believe. Such books are readily identifiable, and if a reader wants to spend money and time on them, well, that’s their choice. There’s a self-published fantasy author I know of (and who shall remain nameless) who sells books like crazy. Books with a fair dose of grammatical issues, as well as a heavy sprinkling of clichés, stereotypical tropes and other writing sins. And readers can’t get enough.
But. Let’s be discerning here. We’re after quality fantasy Indie fiction after all. How can you find the gems among the turnips? Here’s some methods I’ve been exploring:
1) Find book blogs that review Indie fantasy books. Make a list of your favourites, the ones whose reading taste align most with your own, and check them on a regular basis to glean ideas about what to read next. ‘Hmmm.’ I hear you mumble. ‘Where can I find a book blog that reviews Indie fantasy fiction?’ Well, THIS blog of course! Stop reading my post and check out Anela’s reviews here on Amid the Imaginary. They’re detailed, thoughtful, respectful and honest. She puts a lot of effort into her reviews and she has a high standard, so you’re assured of a good fantasy read. Another resource for finding Indie books is The Indie View. It collates the ‘latest Indie reviews from around the web’. Scroll through until you find some fantasy reviews.
2) Keep an eye on the Self Published Fantasy Blogoff (SPFBO 2016) organised by Mark Lawrence. The Blogoff is a competition of sorts. 300 self-published fantasy titles are divided among ten well established fantasy book blogs, whose reviewers set to work on choosing just one book from a group of 30 to go through to the final round. This leaves us with the finalists – ten quality Indie fantasy books. Last year was the first year of the blogoff and those ten books are now on my tbr list.
3) As well as following book blogs, you might join a forum or two in which Indie books are promoted. Kboards is a big one and has a Book Bazaar where you can find the latest published works as posted by the authors, but you’ll have to search for the fantasy books, and just because they’re posted, doesn’t mean they’re going to be your idea of quality, but it’s a place to find the Indies nonetheless.
4) If you’re in the mood for doing a little window shopping from the couch, a great way to spend an hour on a Friday night, is to grab a glass of wine and just start browsing through that mountain of books on Amazon (or your site of choice). Indie books are becoming increasingly harder to identify, as their covers are fantastic. Look for books with no ‘publisher’ listed, or ones with the author’s name as the publisher. Although, some Indies are now including their business name or imprint as the publisher as a way to further their professional look. Most of the books in Kindle Unlimited are Indie books, so this can be another way to search for them. I’ve made my own checklist for finding those hidden gems, and I usually discover 1-3 books to add to my ‘to read’ list over at Goodreads. So, here’s my elimination checklist:
If a book passes all of these checks, it’s added to the list. It’s amazing how many books don’t pass the ‘title’ test and this makes the author in me realise just how important the title is!
But of course, the age-old way to find a good book is word of mouth. So spill, anyone got a great Indie fantasy book to share? Or, a way to find ’em?
Thanks so much for another great post, Aderyn!
Aderyn’s latest book, The Earl’s Daughter, is the second installment in her paranormal mystery trilogy. The first book, The Viscount’s Son, is available for FREE until May 20th — Only two more days so pick up your copy today!. To find out more on Aderyn’s blog.
Michael D’Angelo doesn’t normally investigate murder, but since they never found Emma’s body, she’s technically just a missing person. But he doesn’t investigate those either.
After the Earl of Wolston reads the translation of a sinister and ancient text published on his daughter’s blog, in the days leading up to her disappearance, he reaches out to Mr D’Angelo, convinced that evil forces are at work: something beyond the ordinary, something not of this world, something unholy.
Fortunately for Michael, Paranormal Investigations are his specialty. But as Michael unravels Emma’s last days, and the secrets inscribed on her blog, he begins to question whether such knowledge is too dangerous to pursue.
About the Author
From high fantasy to paranormal, Aderyn’s stories cover the broad spectrum of Fantasy. Inspired from childhood by the wonder and mystique of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising and the adventures in Tolkien’s The Hobbit, her love of the Fantasy genre has been life long. As a writer, she brings characters and places to life in stories filled with magic, mystery, and a good dollop of mayhem.
Aderyn studied Literature, History and Creative Writing at university, travelled the world, and taught English before becoming a full-time writer. She is also a part-time farmer passionate about self-sufficiency and poultry. She lives in a cosy cottage on a small farm in Victoria, Australia with partner Peter, their dog, cat, and a little duck called Snow.
Explore her work at http://aderynwood.blogspot.com
Author of speculative fiction 